11/09/2006

Norman Lamb speaks out against McCartney Farepak "Gimmick"

North Norfolk Lib Dem MP has spoken out against the moral pressure being exerted on MP's by Labour MP Ian McCartney to give up a day of their salary to the fund for the victims of the collapsed Farepak hamper company. Read about it HERE in the EDP.

Norman makes a good point when he states in the article that “This is from the government who chose to ignore the ombudsman's ruling that it was guilty of maladministration in respect of 85,000 pensioners who have seen some or all of their pensions disappear.”

Ian McCartney is, in my opinion, rabble rousing. If the government had introduced proper legislation to ensure that companies like Farepak did not use their hamper businesses money to support other failing parts of the company, which is what led to the company's collapse, then there would not be a need for this fund. It appears that Ian McCartney is trying to be seen as active in the wake of the fact that his Labour Government were completely inactive on this.

The EDP article notes Norman Lamb as saying “I support the relief fund, but I find the moral pressure from Ian McCartney distasteful,” he said. “It's gimmick politics.

I have every sympathy with those who have lost money from the collapse of Farepak, but feel it is not the job of opposition MP's, be they Tory or Lib Dem, to bail the government out of the fact that they neglected to regulate Farepak, and if anyone is to blame, it is the bankers of Farepak who allowed this to happen and the government's own financial regulators.